See also

European and international co-operation

In our knowledge-based society, patents are vital to innovation and competitiveness, and
patent offices have to ensure that the patent system can rise to the challenges
presented by ever-increasing globalisation. This means finding a balance between
the needs of
right-holders and third parties, as well as between the quality of
granted patents and the costs and efficiency of the patent procedure.

As a global player, we are
conscious of our responsibilities in developing long-term
solutions to these problems, and we are aware that patent offices cannot cope
with these challenges on their own.